Life Can be So Cruel
by kangaroo
Summary: Rating for language. Not slash. Might be kinda sad at the begining but will be fluffy at the end. Involves Remus, Sirius and Harry. Padfoot needs some help from Moony.


Life Is Cruel  
  
Disclaimer; I don't anything JK Rowling owns. (I am pissed at her for doing you-know-what to whats-his-name in you-know-which book).  
  
A/N Sad, but will be fluffy at the end. NOT SLASH. Rating is for language. PLEASE REVIEW. Please make suggestions about what you would like to see happen.  
  
Chapter 1  
  
Sitting his tiny, slightly dilapidated cottage on the moors, Remus Lupin sighed as he read the letters he had received form his only remaining best friend. Some of the letters were apologetic, some were angry-not towards Remus, more towards the world that had so loyally screwed them both over- some were reminiscent for the old times, some were depressed that two of his best friend were dead and that one of them was a traitor, some, Remus thought, could be considered 'happy' but in truth they didn't really have a mood at all, just a form of communication informing Remus of how he was. The last one he had received was clearly bitter and resentful;  
  
Dear Remus,  
  
I'm sorry that I haven't written for a while, but I have stayed safely hidden where there is little access to parchment.  
  
As I said, I am hidden and no one has seen me at all for a while, but, I thought I would write and check you are ok? Full moon last night I know, did it go ok? Yes, I know. You've done it alone for the last 13 years but, still, Moony must Padfoot and Prongs. I howled at the moon for you last night, just like old times.  
  
Anyways, I am as fine as can be expected when the goddamn ministry is on my tail every fucking second. Last night I used a rat as a pillow, ate it for breakfast. Tasted crap. Would have been worth it if it had been that evil, conniving bastard, Wormtail.  
  
I really don't have much to say but know that I miss my old mate moony and am hoping the wolf wasn't vicious last night.  
  
Sirius.  
  
This was the last he had heard from Sirius. Almost a month ago. He could understand that sometimes Sirius couldnot write for weeks at a time, but a month! He had received no reply when he wrote back to Sirius. His own letter had consisted much of the same as Sirius' had but without the rat details.  
  
That letter was weeks ago though and know Remus was extremely worried for Sirius. He had been desperate last night so he had wrote to Harry and asked if he had received anything from Sirius recently. Negative response to that. He was pleased that Harry had asked him to write more often though and he had finally managed to fall asleep promising himself he would talk to Dumbledore in the morning, that man seemed to know everything. Everything must surely include Sirius' condition, if not whereabouts.  
  
When he awoke in the morning his first thought was to the full moon that would rise that night. He could already feel it's pull, as it was waxing far above him. Thinking of the moon he remembered Sirius and his promise to speak to Dumbledore.  
  
After making himself look presentable with several cups of tea and squirting himself in the face with freezing cold water, he knelt by the fireplace and, with a pinch of floo powder said clearly, "Albus Dumbledore!"  
  
Said person's head appeared in a matter of seconds. "Remus, you wished to speak with me I assume?" said the head. Dumbledore's long beard lay folded in the ashes of the fire as it was that long.  
  
"Yes Professor, are you busy?" Remus asked politely.  
  
"No. Not at the moment. Care to join me for breakfast?"  
  
"OK, I'll be right there sir!" Remus stepped into the fire as soon as his former headmaster's head disappeared.  
  
At the other end, he stepped into an ornately decorated room and came face to face with Albus Dumbledore.  
  
"Take a seat." He said indicating to a small table surrounded by squashy chintz armchairs that the wizard seem to prefer.  
  
Remus sat down and after dealing the pleasantries that always came with civilized conversation explained to Dumbledore why he came.  
  
"Have you heard anything from Sirius? He hasn't spoken to me nor Harry for at least a month, which is rather unusual!" Remus explained, hoping that Dumbledore would explain the problem and Padfoot would bound out of the shadows.  
  
"Ah. Harry has, in fact, beaten you to it. He came to see me last night. That boy has an uncanny ability to guess my passwords. Anyway he told me more of less what you have and I told him mostly less than I am going to tell you." He paused and Remus sat quite still, patiently waiting expectantly for the answer to his question.  
  
"All I know is that Sirius is in the country, had been for a month or two I believe. He told me because he wanted to know if it would be possible for Harry and himself to meet. I said no, for fear that it was too risky for Sirius, and anywhere safe for Sirius would be too dangerous for Harry! Both took the news hard, but I think they understand. Sirius told me that he would be heading your way; I would have thought that he should have arrived by now." Dumbledore looked piercingly at Remus, although the effect was spoiled somewhat by the icing sugar that clung to his moustache.  
  
"I haven't seen of heard from him since the last full moon!" Remus said again.  
  
"Ahh, well I expect that he was held up by something. If you do not hear form him in a week then we must begin to look for him. Do you live near any woods?" the older man replied.  
  
"Yeh, there is a large wood behind my house. I live on the moors. No one can bother me up there, you know!" Remus told him.  
  
"The full moon is tonight is it not?" Remus nodded. "Suggest that you search the woods, if it safe, Sirius might be hiding, injured, there. Although I suggest not today, the moon already seems to be affecting you, I am sure Madam Pomfrey would like to see you again, you two got on rather well didn't you?" Dumbledore looked sympathetically at Remus' shadowed eyes and pallor.  
  
"Thankyou sir, I'll check the woods. Unfortunately for me, the moon seems to be having a bad effect on me today, I'm OK, but I will pay Madama Pomfrey a friendly visit, I haven't talked to her much since last year. I'll see you soon professor." Remus refused to call Dumbledore anything but 'Professor' or 'sir', even though he was no longer his professor and he had asked Remus to call him Albus.  
  
Remus wandered down the familiar corridors with the intention of making his way down to the infirmary. It was quiet as it was only about 8 am. As he wandered past the entrance hall he walked smack into a body. From his position on the floor he looked over his knees to stare straight into Lily Potter's eyes. Mentally smacking himself he picked himself up off the floor and proceeded to pull Harry Potter up. He was slightly more used to looking at a 13 year old James' in possession of Lily's eyes now than he was that first time on the Hogwarts Express. If it hadn't been for the Dementor looming over Harry he would have passed out himself from the shock.  
  
"Sorry Remus! Gotta go get my broom, Quidditch practice!" he explained quickly. He had stopped calling him Professor Lupin at his request, he said it made him feel old.  
  
"Mind if I watch a bit later?" Remus thought it would take his mind off the Sirius situation. Besides, he would like to see Harry play without something horrific, like the Dementors showing up, happening.  
  
"I'd love you to come, see you later!" he shouted, already running up to his dorm.  
  
Remus carried on his wandering and eventually ended up at the infirmary. He found Madam Pomfrey making up Pepper-Up potion-ughh, he hated it-and resisted the impulse to sneak up on her. The two shared a long discussion about the past and catching up. On Remus' part he couldn't tell her too much as he didn't know how much she knew about what had been happening.  
  
As promised he made his way down to the Quidditch Pitch and had an enjoyable afternoon watching Harry play. Unfortunately it didn't really take his mind of Sirius as he used play when they were at Hogwarts.  
  
It was nearly four by the time he apparated home form Hogsmede. Locking himself in the cellar he prepared himself for the excruciating pain that came with transforming. His worry for Sirius didn't help his cause as it just upset the wolf making his transformation worse than usual.  
  
Morning crept around to reveal and exhausted Remus Lupin. Dragging himself up to the living room where he had left his wand spent any energy that he had and he promptly fell asleep on the sofa.  
  
He woke later to a scuffling sound coming form outside. Remus wearily walked to th front door and hesitantly opened it a crack. On his doorstep sat a dishevelled large black dog, with pitiful pale eyes. Remus flung the door open and stepped aside to allow the painfully thin creature in. Ever so slowly the dog limped in, dragging one leg behind it. The dog seemed to shudder and lent on the wall as it slid to the floor, barely conscious, his body racked by coughs.  
  
Remus levitated the animal and lay him on the sofa he had recently vacated. The dog threw him a thankful glance and coughed some more.  
  
"Can you transform?" Remus asked the pitiful creature. When he didn't Remus took that as a yes and brought soup and water in two bowls into the living room. The dog managed only a small amount of soup before he fell asleep, coughing pathetically in his sleep.  
  
Sighing Remus collected warm water, towels and medical balm. Returning to Sirius' side he knelt on the floor and began to sponge the caked mud from the dog's cut and bleeding paws.  
  
He did what he could for Sirius, which was basically clean and dress his wounds. His leg, which was clearly broken, couldn't be fixed until Sirius was awake and should really be done by a professional healer, a rare commodity to come across when you're a werewolf, particularly when you are seeking treatment from a suspected mass murderer. The same went for the illness that riddled Sirius body.  
  
He resigned himself by alerting Dumbledore to the situation.  
  
When his head appeared in the fire he simply said,  
  
"Ahh! I see! I'll inform Harry."  
  
"Professor, he's badly hurt and sick. He needs a healer. Could you.?" Remus asked, close to tears.  
  
"I am no healer but call me when he is awake and I'll do what I can. I'll tell Harry now and see what I can get out of Madam Pomfrey, she doesn't know of course but I'll make p something." And with that he disappeared to find Harry.  
  
A/N. I know I waffled a bit didn't I. Will be more to the point next chapter. Please review and tell me what you think. Criticize if you want. Suggestions welcome. 


End file.
